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Sunday, 24 November 2013

I hope you're all having a great Sunday - I'm finding it hard to move from my warm bed!

So I wanted to let you all know that I've moved my blog... well actually it's a fresh start. I couldn't quite see where I was taking As Pretty As You Please, which is why it got quite neglected some months. I wanted to join up my make up artistry more with my blog, so have started www.samanthadavismakeupartist.blogspot.co.uk - I currently have 0 followers so would love it if you could stop by and say hello!! x

Sunday, 17 November 2013

Today's blog post is on this little beauty - Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Kalahari (shop here). I got a voucher for Space NK for my birthday so went to have a look round last week... ahh too much I want in that shop!

I have a few Nars products, but none of their eyeshadows and this one really caught my eye. Both shimmery, warm-toned colours - I thought these would be perfect for this time of year. Very autumnal!

At £25, I think this is fairly reasonable price for a high-end product. After all, you are getting two shadows. The packaging is lovely as always and I like that you get a mini mirror inside the lid which is useful for touch ups on the go.

The left shade is a beautiful gold tone and the right shade more of a bronzy shade with a hint of purple. As I'm fair skinned I like to add a light lid colour to this combination so that it's not too dark/heavy.

I love this product and would definitely look at investing in more of these lovely duos.

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Now I'm sure you were all as excited as I was when the amazing Charlotte Tilbury launched her gorgeous make up range earlier this year. As a makeup artist she's a huge inspiration to me, and I knew that her products would reflect her years in the industry - I was in no way disappointed. Firstly, HOW GORGEOUS IS THE PACKAGING! Inspired by vintage glamour, it has such a luxurious look. I was kindly bought these two items for my birthday... here are my thoughts!

K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Bitch Perfect £23.00 available at Selfridges & CoThis is the perfect pinky-nude (it's coming out more pinky on camera!). Fab for every day wear. The texture of the lipstick is extremely moisturising and has really great staying power, which I was pleasantly surprised about! It's lightly scented (reminds me of MAC lipsticks) - that delicious lovely vanilla smell. And the gold casing is just amazing. All I can say is that I need more.

Lip Lustre luxe colour-lasting lip lacquer in Portobello Girl £16.50 available at Selfridges & CoA gorgeous vintage pink, this looks so pretty over the top of the Bitch Perfect lippy. It's got a sight shimmer to it which is nice, and like the lipstick it's a beautiful consistency which literally glides on the lips. The only thing I would say is that the tube is a little on the small, so I will be saving this for special occasions!

Have you tried any products from the Charlotte Tilbury range?Here's hoping I've been a good girl this year... Santa's got a rather large wish list coming his way :)

Sunday, 6 October 2013

On Saturday I was very lucky to do the make up for a beautiful styled photoshoot and I wanted to share one of the looks with you all. The inspiration was secret garden, and with the model's gorgeous fair skin we went for a beautiful green eye goddess look.

As my kit is predominately for bridal work I did a quick sweep round my local Superdrug and came across some gorgeous products from the B. range. Here's how I created the look.

Base:

Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser

Nars Sheerglow in Mont Blanc to give a nice glow to the skin

Benefit Boi ing Concealer in number 1 under the eyes - Amber had the most beautiful skin she didn't need much at all!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent swept across the forehead, bridge of the nose and chin

Highlight/Blush:

Highlighter on the bridge of the nose, cheek bones and cupid's bow using Beauty UK's Baked Blush in Halo. These are such pretty, affordable highlighters - I'll definitely be trying out some of the other shades in the range!

For blush I used a peachy shade (top right) from my Crownbrush Blush Palette

And a little Nars Laguna bronzer to add some warmth

Eyes/Lips:

Shadow/base - I used this gorgeous B. Vibrant Eye Shimmer in the shade Poseidon. The cream eyeshadow was so easy to blend (some times cream shadows can be hard work, and set too quickly, but this was just lovely)
On the centre I added some of the B. eyeshadow in Filigree
To add some intensity I used blackout from my Naked 2 palette in the outer corner and a light brown through the socket plus a little shimmery highlight in the inner cornerLancome's Black Khol eyeliner in the waterline.
And my fave - Maybelline's The Falsies Mascara
Lippy - MAC's Prolongwear Lipglass in Show Me!

I had so much fun creating this look and can't wait to share the professional pictures when I have them! Let me know if you've got a favourite eye shadow combo for this time of year.

Saturday, 28 September 2013

Happy weekend! All I can say is phew - we made it! I've been waiting all day to snuggle in my duvet and write this post for you guys.

So I'm keeping to my promise and talking about something other than foundations today :o) On my quest for flawless skin, I wanted to explore concealers and on doing some research came across a fair few reviews for this little beauty! Benefit Boi ing Concealer is described as industrial-strength and I had high hopes that this would sort out my under eye bags and blemishes. A creamy, easy-to-blend formula, I most definitely wasn't disappointed.

Available in five shades, number 1 was a pretty good match for my pale complexion. A great concealer for covering up any blemishes - I would liken it to Mac's Studio Finish. Although, I prefer to stick to a liquid concealer under my eyes (just my personal preference) but this did have great longevity on the skin, and I didn't find it to crease.

At £17.50, it's definitely on the more high end of concealers, but due to the pigmentation and consistency a little will go along way, so it offers great value for money. Find it here.

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

So in my last post I mentioned that hubby and I were going to be taking part in a very special photoshoot. Last Sunday (22nd September) was our first wedding anniversary - and still being wedding obsessed, I spotted an advert by the fine art blog the Wedding Sparrow asking for a real-life couple to be a part of wedding photoshoot in Dorset - at Thomas Hardy's former home to be exact!

As the shoot was due to take place on our anniversary weekend, something said to me that perhaps this is meant to be! Oh and of course the fact that I'd get to wear a designer dress swayed my decision to send off a pic of me and my hubby. Well, the lovely Sara at Wedding Sparrow got back a few days later and said they'd love to have us on board! I literally let out a little squeal whilst sat at my desk.

It was an early start as we had to be there fore 8am for hair and make up (and it was about a 2.5 hour drive from our home). The inspiration was botanical, with a soft up-do and quite a strong eye. Here's a cheeky snap of me on the way to our location in the car.

The photographer was the lovely Michelle Boyd who is Texas-based and had made a special trip over to the UK. She was so nice and made us both feel at ease straight away in front of the camera. I was also really lucky as I had some gorgeous flowers to hold for the most-part (love a good prop). I even got to take these beauties home!

Now we're excitedly waiting for the professional pics which we should hopefully see in a couple of weeks!

I decided that this year I was going to seek opportunities and grab them with both hands. It's amazing to have such great opportunities - you only live one life so go get them!

Thursday, 19 September 2013

I thought I'd do another update post on what I've been up to - for those who follow me on Instagram, you might have already seen, but for those who haven't here's a little round up!

1. Wedding season has still been going on strong, and I had the pleasure of doing the make up for 3 last week. It's such a joy to be a part of someone's special day. I've been particularly loving taking my new red bag along with me. It was from New Look and was only £19.99. They have some amazing bags in at the moment, you should definitely check them out.

2. It was my husband's 26th birthday yesterday, and to celebrate I got these amazing minion cupcakes made. You're never too old for themed cake and he loved them!

3. We went to London for his birthday and spent the morning at the V&A museum - we both hadn't been before and really enjoyed it. The cafe is pretty great too... a day out wouldn't be complete without tea and cake! Loved the fashion exhibition - vintage Dior!

4. And lastly today I went to get a manicure as on Sunday my husband and I are taking part in a styled photoshoot for a wedding blog! Seriously excited to dress up as a bride again! Can't wait to share the pics with you all.

Saturday, 14 September 2013

I thought this might be a helpful post for any of my lovely followers who are just starting out in make up artistry. Building a kit can be expensive and daunting and I know that when I was getting started I wanted to focus on the contents of my kit. So when it came to looking into bags and train cases to transport my make up kit around, it was looking like a rather big expense. Now don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a professional Zuca case which I could wheel along, but for now that was the difference of a good few hundred pounds.

So when I spotted this beauty I was so happy! I purchased my Japonesque Set Bag from the Guru Make up Emporium for a amazing £28.95. It has great space inside, and I love the pockets on sides which are are a perfect for my Mac Fix+ and Bioderma.

Inside I can fit a couple of palettes laid down and two full clear zip bags. It's got a side section, but I don't tend to use it, I just stick to the middle section. It's wipe clean, sturdy and amazing value for money.

Hope you found this useful! What are your favourite storage solutions?

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Now I promise to write about something other than foundation for my next post, but I've been naughty and made another purchase - Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - a firm favourite of many beauty bloggers!

I purchased this from my local Space NK as I wanted to get matched. At £30.50 a bottle I didn't want to risk buying the wrong shade! She matched me with the shade Mont Blanc - I normally go for the lightest shade, but this was a tad too fair (this never happens!). In this respect I'm really impressed with their colour range and it's great to find a brand that caters well for us more pale gals!

It says it suits Normal to Dry skin, which I would agree with. It gives a lovely brightness to your complexion, and I really love the coverage.

Now the only downside is that this product is of the 'precariously pour from the bottle without getting it on your clothes or cream carpet type' which is slightly annoying! But fear not, you can buy a pump as an extra. Although this does mean you can't use the lid which isn't so great for carrying around and I don't know if this has an effect on the product with it being slightly exposed to the air. Let me know if you use a pump on yours?

I will definitely be purchasing a range of these foundations to go in my kit, as they'll be lovely to use on brides.

Sunday, 8 September 2013

So for today's post I wanted to talk exfoliating - I can't stress enough the difference it can make. Remove those dead skin cells and reveal a brightened complexion! Here are my current favourites...

Face: Good Things Deep Clean £4.99 at Boots
I really love this brand - I've got through quite a few of their shower products and moisturisers and this one doesn't disappoint either. It focuses on exfoliating to help clear away those blackheads, and has a nice gritty texture without feeling too harsh on the skin. I tend to exfoliate in the evening as part of my night time routine before I moisturise, and this product is perfect as it has a really relaxing scent of papaya and licorice.

Lips: Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub £5.50
Now I've never really been into lips scrubs, but found that this Summer my lips were really suffering. As much lipbalm I could smother on, I just needed to give them a good exfoliate. Lipsticks look so much better on with a smooth base! I've seen some great home recipes for lip scrubs so you really don't need to folk out for one you could always make your own. I was just feeling lazy and wanted a quick fix and this one smelt of bubblegum - sold!

Now this is by far my favourite scrub of all time. I know this product gets a lot of love from bloggers and I can totally see why. If you haven't smelt it you are seriously missing out. A fragrance of sweet lime and almond oil - it smells like summertime... that you get to rub on your body! I love it which is why I'm almost out of this pot, so will definitely be re-purchasing. It's a big tub too so will last you a good amount of time. What are you waiting for!?

Do you have any favourite scrubs/exfoliators? Be sure to leave a comment!

Friday, 6 September 2013

Now as you might already know, foundations have become a little obsession of mine. I'm always reading about them - adding them into my kit is quite a considered process!

I want to talk with passion about the products I use, and know that I can trust they will do the job. So when I was chatting foundations with the lovely Zoe Newlove - I knew I had to give this one a whirl! IllamasquaSkin Base retails at £27. Inspired by the cult Asian market Beauty Balm creams it creates a beautiful soft focus effect, blurring out imperfections without feeling heavy on the skin.

Exactly as it's described, it's an 'easily blendable formula effortlessly creates a perfect complexion'. I use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to buff this one into the skin. I also love it when brands include a pure white within the range of colours, as that way you can custom mix to your hearts content!

Not completely compatible with my dry skin, but to be honest that's more of a skin care issue that I'm working out as we transition into Autumn.

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

As most of my posts are beauty related, I thought it would be a nice change for you all to get to know me a bit better. And if I'm honest, I love reading these kinds of posts so here it goes - 20 Facts About Me (they are all quite random!):

1. I'm a vegetarian
2. I don't have any cousins - I have quite a small family and so does my husband. We're keen not to follow this trend :)
3. My biggest fear is flying but I'm trying not to let it stop me from travelling. Up until the age of 20 I had no problem at all, but over the last 5 years it's got progressively worse. The thought of getting on a plane again gives me heart palpitations.
4. I never had any pets when growing up.
5. I have a cat called Richard. He's two.
6. I wish I had blonde hair.
7. I don't like fruit but will try and eat an apple a day.
8. My favourite food is pizza.
9. I do not watch scary movies - thrillers are the furthest I'll go.
10. Sometimes my nerves get the better of me.
11. I like to bake - I wish I was better at it.
12. When I was 10 I was shortlisted for a competition to design the 1st birthday cake for my local Sainsbury's. I didn't win but got to have a tour and free doughnuts.
13. My mum calls me her little dumpling.
14. I still have my blanket from when I was a baby.
15. I LOVE salted popcorn.
16. I hate the taste of wine.
17. I wish I could do make up everyday.
18. I truly believe that if you want something in life you should go for it.
19. My happy place is by the beach - Bournemouth to be precise as this is where my husband proposed.
20. I want to help people and spread some happiness.

Leave a link if you've written a post like this as I'd love to check it out. Also, any post requests are always welcome.

Monday, 2 September 2013

So this past week I've been getting into using Instagram - I'm a little obsessed. Who doesn't love a good filter! Think food, FOTD's, and outfit pics - you can find me here. As I'm quite new to it I thought I'd see if any of you lovelies are on there - leave your links in the comments so that I can take a look :) And if you're on the land of Twitter please come and say hi too - @samanthadavismua.

Friday, 30 August 2013

So there's a recent purchase that has been getting a lot of love in my professional kit, and for those who enjoy reading about eyeshadow - I just had to share my thoughts!

Crownbrush's 'Smoke It Out' palette is a gorgeous mix of 36 shimmery and matte shades in an amazing range of shades. They're the kind that just makes me want to get creative and try new things - the combinations are endless!

At £19.99 the value is so good and the pigmentation is fantastic - really rich, bold and daring.

To give you an idea on a look you could recreate, I recently used it on a recent Festival inspired phootshoot. I used the vibrant orange with the more coppery tones to 'smoke it out' - I really love how they came out on camera.

Crownbrush have definitely got me a little addicted - I've got my eye on quite a few other palette's in their range.

Thursday, 29 August 2013

I hope you're all well! I've got that excited feeling today - and I think it was the thought of writing a blog post. It's been a while since I wrote a proper blog post, and I've really missed it. So I'm cuddled up on the sofa, movie on in the background and I'm tapping away... I love these kinds of evenings, they are the best!

So today I wanted to talk about some lovely products I recently purchased from Laura Mercier. I've always been the type to thoroughly research products before I buy them, that way I don't have too many disappointments... and these all come highly recommended.

Translucent setting powder (RRP £29) - this stuff is lovely! A finely milled setting powder, which doesn't cake on the skin, doesn't set in fine lines, feels super silky and leaves you knowing you're going to get longevity from your make up! I'll probably stick to my Rimmel Stay Matte powder for every day wear, but this bad boy is definitely coming out for nights out and special occasions.

Now I didn't necessary need another lipstick... but I fell in love with this when I saw the gorgeous beauty blogger and make up artist Zoe Newlove use it on one of the models she was doing the make up for. I thought this would be a beautiful shade to add to my kit! I would describe Roman Moon as an organgy-red (wow, that was imaginative!). There's something I really love about it as if you're not feeling like a bold red lip day but still want to make a statement - this is the lippy for you! It has a really vintage vibe!

Now, the only other primer I've previously used on myself is the Revlon Photoready primer. As I have quite dry skin I just tend to use Embroylisse to moisturise and act as a base for my foundation, but I've really wanted to try Laura Mercier's Foundation Primer and I'm so glad I did. It's very light feeling, and so far I haven't any breakouts - the formula just glides on your skin. At £28, I would also be saving this for special occasions, but it is definitely a welcome addition to my make up bag!

Would love to hear if any one has tried these products or recommendations of any other good 'uns!

Monday, 26 August 2013

Hi beauties,Ahh it's been so long! I hope you're all doing well!I'm very excited to back in the blogging world with some exciting updates and lots of lovely new posts coming your way.First bit of news - my shiney new make up website is up - www.samanthadavismakeup.co.uk. This has long been a dream of mine, and I was so happy to see it come to reality. Here you'll find pics from portfolio and general updates on what I've been up to. This blog is also going to get some fab updates too, so watch this space.

I'm wanting to keep this blog exactly as I started it. A place to share new products with you all - so more of that coming soon.I'd also love to connect more with you guys so if you're on Twitter you can find me @samanthadmua and on Facebook - Samantha Davis Make Up. I'm hoping to have a fun make up giveaway once I reach 300 likes which I can't wait to do! I'd also love to hear if you have any particular posts you want to see. Stay smiling!Samantha xo

Friday, 7 June 2013

Hi beauties!Happy Friday!!Today's post is about a lovely little eyeshadow palette I've been getting a lot of use out of recently - Too Faced's Boudoir Eyes. Think sultry, beautiful eyes, perfect for both day and night!

At £29 it's a little on the pricey side, but if you think about it you are getting 9 shadows with plenty of eye look combinations possible. That's how I justify these kind of purchases :)What I really like is how these are set out: Day, Classic and Fashion - with your base, mid-tone and outer corner shade all in one neat little row. It also comes with a handy guide to creating three looks!

I really like the quality of these shadows; soft and buildable colours. Satin Sheets is definitely my favourite, it's such a beautiful colour (a pink frost with gold undertones - love it!)Has anyone else tried this palette? I'm thinking of trying some more Too Faced products, let me know what you think!Samantha x

Saturday, 1 June 2013

Hi beauties,I hope you're all enjoying the lovely weather we're finally having - sunshine makes such a difference, everything seems so much better!So I just wanted to update you on my make up artist journey. I've been really fortunate to help on some fantastic shoots recently - these were styled shoots, so basically all involved are there to give their time, skills and expertise for free - in return we all get some fab photos to use in our portfolio. I loved every minute, it's so nice meeting local suppliers and networking. Definitely the best way to get great experience if you're looking to work in this industry. Hope you like the pics!